Folding table carrier



April 24, 1962 c. M. MUGLER 3,031,084

FOLDING TABLE CARRIER Filed Feb. 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /22 5| 2. 6261532 F- 4 c 'O1 i" 40 4Z) 55 4Z 42 4032 42 37 HLM m1, 37 f 30d A L- 54 4 ab 630 -/4 /0 42 42 1" wil 52 2? L :n Ll Z0 i gg/ f 3 6 if 44 52IHM* 1 7 i7 30" if( Mii. u 30 x o o Q 20w 20 60 Era. 6l FIG. 2. .a- 37 58 30 /6 55 5550 40 -v 30 9 /fwL-l,

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FOLDING TABLE CARRIER Filed Feb. 17, 1961 PI G. 3. -o g3@ 265 30 22 2772-5, 5.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EL .nllllm /NVEA/TOE CHA ,QL/55 /l/Z MUGLER BY H/ ATTORNEYS #ARR/s, K/ECH, RUSSELL KERN United States Patent O 3,031,084 FOLDING TABLE CARRIER Charles M. Mugler, North Hollywood, Calif. Rol-Fol Table, Inc., 14876 Raymer, Van Nuys, Calif.) Filed Feb. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 89,965 12 Claims. (Cl. 211 2) The present invention relates in general to table structures and in particular provides an improved manner of hinging a tabletop panel to the structure proper and also relates to a utility table that may be employed as a carrier and storage facility for several folding-leg tables.

Conventionally institutions, schools and the like using heavy folding-leg tables have employed a table truck for moving the tables from storage to site of use and back to storage. Within the storage area, there is usually no special provision for storing the folding-leg tables in a manner facilitating removal.

The utility table of the invention has a dual purpose, serving in its open or erect position as a serving or dining table, and with its tabletop in an upright or folded position the table providing a carrier and storage facility for folding-leg tables placed thereon. Generally speaking, the dual purpose utility table of the invention includes a movable supporting structure having at its two ends opposed, outwardly-extending, horizontally-disposed legs with a caster supporting each leg adjacent its outer end. A tabletop panel is hinged to the upper portion of the supporting structure and is movable to assume an upright, folded position with a longitudinal edge of the tabletop panel resting against the inner upper sides of two of the outwardly extending legs at one side of the utility table. The tabletop panel in this upright folded position presents a supporting surface against which a tabletop panel of a retracted folding-leg table may rest. The horizontally-disposed legs are preferably provided with spaced depressions to receive the hinged tabletop panel in its upright, folded position as well as stacked folding-leg tables. Stacked folding-leg tables are carried on either side of the supporting structure with their tops preferably leaning inwardly and with the retracted tables in a face-to-face or back-to-back relationship.

One feature of the invention involves an improved manner of hinging a tabletop panel to a supporting table structure. A glide is pivotally held to the top of the supporting structure above the structure proper with the pivot being displaced laterally of the supporting structure top to permit downward pivoting of the glide to assume an angular position with respect to the supporting structure top. A track member affixed to the underside of the tabletop panel slida'bly engages the glide. Preferably there is provided a glide support member affixed to the top of the supporting structure with a portion of the glide support member overhanging one edge of the top of the supporting structure. The glide is pivotally held to the overhanging portion of the glide supporting member. Such an arrangement permits the glide to be pivoted downwardly to assume an angular position with respect to the supporting structure top. In one particularly suitable form, the glide comprises two members which are pivotally held to the opposite sides of the glide support member by a common pivot pin which extends therethrough. Normally there will be two glide support members spaced apart and separately afxed to the top of the supporting structure adjacent opposite ends of the structure. Each glide support member has pivotally held to it a separate glide which slidably engages a tract member alhxed to the underside of the tabletop panel. The two track members are parallel to each other, running transversely of the tabletop panel and spaced apart a distance approximating the spacing ofthe two glides.

A counterbalance spring is preferably provided to assist ICC in the return of the tabletop panel from its folded, upright position to its open position where it rests on the top of the supporting structure. The counterbalance spring is fastened at one end to the supporting structure and at its other end to the tabletop panel.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the folding table art in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiment of the invention described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the dual purpose utility table of the invention with its tabletop panel in open position resting on a central supporting structure;

FIG. 2 is another end elevational view with the tabletop panel in its folded, upright position with its lower longitudinal edge resting against inner, upper sides of two, outwardly-extending, horizontally-disposed legs of the table;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the utility table of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional View taken along line 4 4 of FIG. l, illustrating in detail the man` ner of pivoting of the tabletop panel to the supporting structure;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 5 5 of FIG. l, providing more detail as to the manner of pivoting the tabletop panel to the supporting structure;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6 6 of FIG. 3 showing the manner of housing two keepers for the stacked folding-leg tables carried on the utility table 0f the invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7 7 of FIG. 1 illustrating the tubular structure of the end frames of the utility table of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the dual purpose utility table of the invention serving in its alternative role as a carrier for several folding-leg tables stacked thereon and illustrating the two keepers of FIG. 26 in their extended, operative positions.

With reference to FIG. l, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the dual purpose utility table `1li` made up of a tabletop panel 12 resting on an upright, central supporting structure 14 which has an upper, rectangular, horizontally-disposed box lframe I6 which is supported at its opposite ends by end frames 18. Each of the end frames 18 comprises two tubular members 20 that are turned outwardly at their lower ends to form two opposed, outwardly-extending, horizontally disposed legs 2.2. The two tubular members f2@ of each end frame 18 are tied together by a band 24 placed a short distance above the opposed, outwardly extending legs 22. Each of the legs 22 is supported adjacent its outer end by a swivel caster 26.

The rectangular box frame 16 is formed of four, downwardly facing, channel members. Two of these channel members 28a, as best seen in FIG. 3, which extend the length of the box frame 16 are, in the embodiment illustrated, much longer than the two end channel members 28h. Adjoining channel members are interconnected at the four corners of the box frame 16 by corner pieces 30. The corner pieces 30 continue the channel and have a generally-rounded outside wall 30a of the same depth as the adjoining channel members 28a and 28h. The vertical tubular members 20 of the two end frames 18 may be either welded or removably held to the corner pieces 30 of the box frame 16. My copending application, Serial No. 43,628, entitled, Folding Table, filed July 18, 1960, illustrates a particularly desirable way of removably holding a leg structure to the corners of a box frame of a similar design.

The tabletop panel 12 has a similar box frame 34 but of a greater width affixed to its underside and similarly formed of channel member-.s 36 which are likewise interconnected at the four corners of the box frame 34 by corner pieces 37. The channel members 36 at the two ends of the tabletop panel 12 are considerably shorter than the longitudinal channel members making up the side members of that box frame. A special feature of the table structure of the invention 1S the manner in which the tabletop panel 12 is hinged to the central supporting structure 14. With reference particularly to FIGS. l, 2, 4, and 5, it will be seen that there is a glide support member 3S aixed to each channel member 28b at each end of the box frame 16. A portion of each glide support member 38 overhangs one edge of the supporting structure 14, and, more particularly, overhangs the box frame 16 which forms the top of the supporting structure. At each end of the table a glide 40 comprising two glide members 42 is pivotally held to its respective glide support 38 with the glide members 42 being pivotally held to opposite sides of the glide support member by a common pivot pin 44 extending therethrough. As 'best seen in FIGS. l and 2, the glide 40 may be moved downwardly from a horizontal position (FIG. 1) to assume an angular position (FIG. 2) with respect to the supporting structure top or box frame 16. Each 'glide 4G slidably engages a track 46 that is held within an end channel member 36 in a fixed position by bolts 48. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the track 46 is formed of two components 50, each of which separately engages one of the two glide members 42 of the glide 40. With movement of the tabletop panel 12 from its open position of FIG. l to its folded, upright position of FIG. 2, the glide 40 progressively engages succeeding portions of the track 46 as the table moves outwardly and downwardly, with the glide Iinally assuming a downward, angular position as illustrated in FIG. 2. A str ap member 52 (one at each end of the tabletop panel) is fastened at one of its ends to the end frame 18 ofthe supporting structure 14 intermediate the length of one of the tubular members 20 and at its opposite end to the tabletop panel 12, more particularly, to an end channel member 36 of the box frame 34. The strap members 52 serve to limit movement of the tabletop panel 12 with respect to the supporting structure 14, thus avoiding disengagement of the glides 40 with the tracks 46. Two spaced, counterbalance springs 54 fastened between a channel member 28a of the box frame 16 and the tabletop panel 12, more particularly one of the longitudinal channel members 36 of the tabletop box frame 34, assist in the return of the tabletop panel 12 from its folded, upright position of FIG. 2 to its open position of FIG. 1.

When the tabletop panel 12 is in its upright, folded position, its lower longitudinal edge rests against two of the legs 22 in stacking depressions 56. Each leg 22 is provided with several widthwise stacking depressions 56 in its upper surface thereof adapted to receive the edges of the tabletop panels resting thereon. The particular stackying depression 56 in which the folded tabletop panel 12 rests is adjacent a tubular member 20 of the end frame 18. As `best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 8, the tabletop panel 12 in its upright, folded position has its lower longitudinal edge placed outwardly of the panel proper, with the result that the tabletop panel presents an np- Wardly and inwardly sloping support surface against which the top panel of a folding-leg table 58 may be placed. The two tabletops are placed face-to-face with the lower longitudinal edge of the folding-leg table 58 resting in corresponding stacking depressions 56 in two of the legs 22. The folding tables preferably used with the utility table 10 of the invention have the same size tabletop panel as that used on the utility table 10 and similarly have a box frame formed of downwardly facing channel members of the same dimension as that of the channels members ailixed to the underside of the tabletop panel of the utility 5 table. The folding-leg tables S8 desirably have legs which in their folded state are housed within the channels of their box frames. A particularly suitable type of folding-leg table is that described and illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 43,628, filed Iuly 18, 1960.

As best seen in FIG. 9, the stacked folding-leg tables are placed face-to-face or back-to-back with their lower longitudinal edges resting in the stacking depressions 56 of the legs 22. One side of the utility table 10 carries three folding-leg tables 58 in addition to the upright tabletop panel 12 of the utility table itself, while the other side of the utility table `supports four stacked folding-leg tables 58. The folding-leg tables 58 lean inwardly at their top sides against each other and the supporting structure 14. Two keepers 60 and 62 are provided which take the form of metal rods with bent outer ends forming lhooks which grasp the outside edges of the two stacks of folding-leg tables. The two keepers 60 and 62 are normally housed, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, under spring tension, beneath the hinged tabletop panel 12. The inner ends of the two keepers 60 and 62 are retained by springs 64 and 66 (FIG. 6) within the box frame 16. The keepers in their extended positions forestall inadvertent outward movement of the stacked tables.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications, and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a table having a supporting structure and a tabletop panel hinged thereto with said tabletop panel in its open position resting on the top of said supporting structure, the improvement comprising:

a. glide pivotally held to the top of the supporting structure above said structure with the pivot being displaced laterally of the supporting structure top to permit downward pivoting of the glide to assume an angular position with respect to said supporting structure top; and

a track member axed to the underside of the tabletop panel and slidably engaging said glide.

2. In a table having a supporting structure and a tabletop panel hinged thereto with said tabletop panel in its open position resting on the top of said supporting structure, the improvement comprising:

a glide support member aixed to the top of said supporting structure with a portion of said glide support member overhanging one edge of the top of the supporting structure;

a glide pivotally held to the overhanging portion of the glide support member, said glide being capable of downward pivoting to assume an angular position with respect to said supporting structure top; and

a track member affixed to the underside of the tabletop panel and slidably engaging said glide.

3. A table in accordance with claim 2 wherein the glide comprises two members pivotally held to opposite sides of said glide support member by a common pivot pin extending through said glide support member.

4. In a table having a supporting structure and a tabletop panel hinged thereto with said tabletop panel in its open position resting on the top of said supporting structure, the improvement comprising:

opposite ends thereof, said two glide support members overhanging the same edge of the supporting structure top;

two glides individually pivoted to the overhanging portions of the glide support members, each of said two glides being subject to downward pivoting to assume an angular position with respect to said supporting structure top;

two parallel track members aflxed to the underside of the tabletop panel and running transversely of the tabletop panel, said track members being spaced apart a distance approximating the spacing of the two glides and slidably engaging said two glides to permit transverse movement of the tabletop panel with reference to the supporting structure; and

a strap member fastened at one end to the supporting structure and at its opposite end to the tabletop panel, said strap member serving to limit movement to the tabletop panel with respect to the supporting structure.

5. A table in accordance with claim 4 wherein there is provided a counterbalance spring fastened at one end to the supporting structure in the vicinity of said edge and at its other end to the tabletop panel, said spring assisting in the return of the tabletop panel from its folded position to its open position.

6. A table in accordance with claim 4 wherein each glide comprises two members pivotally held to opposite sides of said glide support member by a common pivot pin extending through said glide support member.

7. A dual purpose utility table adapted to serve as a table carrier for a plurality of folding-leg tables in their folded form with their legs against their respective tabletop panels, said table comprising:

a movable supporting structure having at its two ends opposed, outwardly-extending, horizontally-disposed legs, with a caster supporting each leg adjacent its outer end; and

a tabletop panel hinged to said supporting structure and movable to assume an upright, folded position with a longitudinal edge of the tabletop panel resting against an inner, upper side of two of the outwardly-extending legs at one side of the utility table, said tabletop panel in its upright, folded position providing a surface against which a tabletop panel of -a folding-leg table may rest.

8. A dual purpose utility table in accordance with claim 7 wherein the tabletop panel in its upright, folded position has said longitudinal edge placed outwardly of the tabletop panel proper, whereby the tabletop panel presents an upwardly and inwardly sloping support surface.

9. A dual purpose utility table in accordance with claim 7 wherein the upper sides of the horizontallydisposed legs are provided with spaced widthwise depressions.

10. A rolling table storage facility comprising:

a movable supporting structure having at its two ends opposed, outwardly-extending, horizontally-disposed legs with a caster supporting each leg adjacent its outer end, and with the upper side of the supporting legs being provided with spaced stacking depressions to receive stacked folding-leg tables;

a tabletop panel hinged to said supporting structure and moved to assume an upright folded position with a lower longitudinal edge of the upright folded tabletop panel resting in stacking depressions adjacent the supporting structure of two of the outwardly-extending legs at one side of the supporting structure;

a folding-leg table having a tabletop panel with its legs folded against the underside of the tabletop panel, stacked against the hinged, upright tabletop panel with the two tabletop panels face-to-face and with a lower longitudinal edge of the folding-leg table resting in corresponding stacking depressions of said two outwardly-extending legs; and

at least two other folding-leg tables, each having a tabletop panel with the legs of the tables folded against the underside of said top panels, said two other folding-leg tables resting in stacked, face-toface relationship with longitudinal edges of their respective tabletop panels in stacking depressions of the two outwardly-extending legs at the other side of the supporting structure.

11. A rolling table storage facility in accordance with claim 10 wherein there is provided means for holding the upper portions of the stacked folding-leg tables to forestall inadvertent outward movement.

12. A rolling table storage facility in accordance with claim 11 wherein the means for holding the upper portions of the stacked folding-leg tables are formed of metal rods with bent outer ends forming hooks to grasp the upper edges of the stacked folding-leg tables.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 1,773,501 Scholnhammer Aug. 19, 1930 2,692,173 Lowitzsch Oct. 19, 1954 2,965,236 Klein Dec. 20, 1960 

